I Had A King

For this song, it is important to let notes ring and to emphasise
the melody notes, particularly in measures 13 through 20, where the
melody is played on the 4th and 5th (ie bass A & D) strings - listen
to the recording. Notes are all quavers; a * indicates a quaver rest.
Bracketed notes are optional. Full lyrics are at the end. Comments,
corections, suggestions, etc. *please* mail me. Enjoy!
Tuning DADEAD, Capo 7. 4/4, quarter note = 108.
Intro:
|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------0----------|
|-----------0-----0-------|-------0-----------0----|----------------0-------|
|-----3-------------------|-3-----------3----------|-------1----------------|
|--------4-----------4----|----4-----------4-------|----------2--------2----|
|-----------------------5-|----------5-----------0-|----3-----------------3-|
|--0----------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|
4 Verse:
|-------------------------|-------------0----------|------------------------|
|--------0-----------0----|*---------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|
|--1-----------1----------|-------3----------------|-3-----------3----------|
|-----2-----------2-------|*---------4--------4----|----4-----------4-------|
|-----------3-----------0-|----5-----------------5-|----------5-----------0-|
|-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|
I had a king in a tenement castle
7 crescendo............
|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------------0----|
|-----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|-------------------0----|
|--------1----------------|-1-----------1----------|----*--------0-----0----|
|-----------2--------2----|----2-----------2-------|-------0-----0----------|
|-----3-----------------3-|----------3-----------0-|-------0----------------|
|--0----------------------|------------------------|-0--------0-----0-----0-|
Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown
10
|-----------0-------------|----------0-------------|-------------0----------|
|-----------0-------------|-------------0----------|----------------0-------|
|--0-----0--------0-------|-1-----*--1-------------|-1--------1-------------|
|--0-----------------0----|-0--------0-----0-----0-|----0--------------0----|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|-----0--------0--------0-|----0--------------0----|-------0-------------(0)|
He's taken the cur - tains down He's
13 (emphasise melody notes!!.......)
|-----------0-----------0-|------------------------|----------0-------------|
|--------0-----------0----|-0--------0-----------0-|-0--------------------0-|
|--0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|-1-----1-----------1----|
|-----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|
|--------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|-3-----------0----------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
Swept with the broom of contempt and the rooms have an empty ring
16
|--------------0----------|----------0-----------0-|----------0-----------0-|
|--0--------0-----0-------|-0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|
|--0-----0-----------0----|-0----------------------|-3-----3-----------3----|
|-----0-----------0-----0-|----0-----------0-------|----0-----------0-------|
|--2-----------0----------|-------------0----------|-5-----------0----------|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
He's cleaned with the tears of an actor who fears for
19
|-------------------------|-------------0----------|-0-----------0----------|
|--0--------0--------0----|-0--------0-----0-----0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-|
|--1-----1--1-----1--1----|-0-----0-----------0----|-------0----------------|
|-----0-----------0-------|----0--------------0----|-------0-----------0----|
|--3-----------0--------0-|-2-----------------2----|-------2-----------0----|
|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
the laughter's sting....
Chorus:
|--------------------0----|-5--------4-----0-------|-----------------(0)----|
|-----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|---------0--------0-----|
|--3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|-3----*--3--------3-----|
|--0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|-0-------0-----0--------|
|-------------------------|-0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|
|--0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|-0--0-------0---------0-|
I can't go back there any - more You know my keys won't
25
|--5--------4-----0-------|------------------(0)---|-5--------4-----0-------|
|--0--------0--------0----|----------0--------0----|-0--------0--------0----|
|--------*----------------|-3-----*--3--------3----|-------*----------------|
|-----0--------0--------0-|-0--------0-----0-------|----0--------0--------0-|
|--0--------0--------0----|-0----------------------|-0--------0--------0----|
|-------------------------|-0--0--------0--------0-|------------------------|
fit the door You know my thoughts don't fit the man
28
|--------------0----------|------------------------|-------------0----------|
|-----------0-----0-------|-------0-----------0----|----------------0-------|
|-----1-------------------|-1-----------1----------|-------3----------------|
|--------2-----------2----|----2-----------2-------|----------4--------4----|
|--3--------------------3-|----------3-----------0-|----5-----------------5-|
|-(0)---------------------|------------------------|-0----------------------|
They never can they never can
31 Ending:
|-------------------------|-------------0----------|------------------------|
|--------0-----------0---*|----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|
|--3-----------3----------|-------1----------------|-1-----------1----------|
|-----4-----------4------*|----------2--------2----|----2-----------2-------|
|-----------5-----------0-|----3-----------------3-|----------3-----------0-|
|-------------------------|-0----------------------|------------------------|
34
|--------------0----------|------------------------|------------------------|
|-----------------0-------|-------0-----------0----|-------0-----------0----|
|--------3----------------|-3-----------3----------|-3-----------3----------|
|-----------4--------4----|----4-----------4-------|----4-----------4-------|
|-----5-----------------5-|----------5-----------5-|----------5-----------5-|
|--0----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
37 ritardando.....................
|-------------------------|------------------------|--0--------------------||
|--------0-----------0----|-------0-----------0----|--0--------------------||
|--3-----------3----------|-3-----------3----------|--0--------------------||
|-----4-----------4-------|----4-----------4-------|--0--------------------||
|-----------5-----------5-|----------5-----------5-|--0--------------------||
|-------------------------|------------------------|--0--------------------||
(slow strum.....)
Alternative measures:
11 12
|-----------0-------------|-------------0----------|
|--------------0----------|------------------------|
|--1--------1--------1----|-1--------1--------1----|
|--0-----0--------0-----0-|----0-----------0-----0-|
|-------------------------|------------------------|
|-----0-------------(0)---|------(0)---------(0)---|
15 16
|-------------------------|-------------0----------|
|--0--------0--------0----|-0--------0-----0-------|
|--1-----1--------1-------|-0-----0-----------0----|
|-----0--------0--------0-|----0--------0-------(0)|
|--3--------3--------3----|-2--------2--------0----|
|-------------------------|------------------------|
19
|-------------------------|
|--0--------0--------0----|
|--1-----1--------1-------|
|-----0--------0--------0-|
|--3--------3--------3----|
|-------------------------|
I HAD A KING - JONI MITCHELL
I had a king in a tenement castle
Lately he's taken to painting the pastel walls brown
He's taken the curtains down
He's swept with the broom of contempt
And the rooms have an empty ring
He's cleaned with the tears
Of an actor who fears for the laughter's sting-
Chorus:
I can't go back there anymore
You know my keys won't fit the door
You know my thoughts don't fit the man
They never can they never can
I had a king dressed in drip-dry and paisley
Lately he's taken to saying i'm crazy and blind
He lives in another time
Ladies in gingham still blush
While he sings them of wars and wine
But I in my leather and lace
I can never become that kind-
Chorus
I had a king in a salt-rusted carriage
Who carried me off to his country for marriage too soon
Beware of the power of moons
There's no one to blame
No there's no one to name as a traitor here
The king's on the road
And the queen's in the grove 'till the end of the year-
Chorus

http://JoniMitchell.com/music/transcription.cfm?id=127This transcription is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the song.You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.Copyrighted material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use'